


The Cure

by BrandiAlyssa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Family, Gen, Near Death Experience
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2013-04-02
Packaged: 2017-12-07 07:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrandiAlyssa/pseuds/BrandiAlyssa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is found after a moon on the brink of death and wishing for it. Hermione reveals a plan she's been working on for months. Along with Harry and Sirius, they're ready to shake the world again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cure

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a Sirius/Remus friendship and ended with a Harry/Hermione romance. Had to write it though – plot bunny wouldn’t leave me alone. Also started as a Remus and Sirius fight and make up, back to good as brothers, and ended up with much more. Still friendship/family for the most part but once I started writing I couldn’t stop.
> 
> To clear up some issues: Sirius went through the Veil but somehow made it back. Remus never died nor did he marry Tonks. Hermione and Ron split sometime between the Battle of Hogwarts and the present time. Also, Amelia Bones wasn’t killed and is the Minister of Magic.

Sirius Black was worried. It didn’t happen very often, but when it did, it was usually for a very good reason. Last time it happened, Harry had gone into the Department of Mysteries. It took five years before Sirius managed to escape the Veil. The look on Harry’s face when Sirius showed up…The man pulled himself from that line of thought; he had plenty of time to reminisce later. Right now his best friend was missing.

Remus had left a few days ago for his transformation. Padfoot had offered to go with him, as always, but the other man put his foot down. Said he had other business to attend to as well and didn’t want Sirius there. That alone was enough to shock Sirius into staying. Remus had been avoiding his friend joining him since he returned. Something had happened in the five year span and Sirius didn’t know what. He had even taken to changing locations every month so he wouldn’t be followed. He would go, do his thing, and then show up either at Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place, looking all the worse for the wear.

It hurt Sirius to think his friend didn’t want him. It was only those nights, or whenever it was brought into conversation, that things turned nasty between the two of them; every other time it was like nothing changed. Sirius stopped pacing and strode over to the fireplace, pulling a bit of powder from the jar on the mantle.

“Hogwarts Headmistress’s Office”

He stepped out of the other fireplace, brushing soot from his clothes, as the older woman looked up. “Good Evening, Sirius. What can I do for you?”

Ignoring the normal pleasantries, he asked, “Have you seen Remus?”

Brows furrowed. “Not since last week. Poppy was expecting him yesterday morning and he never came in. We assumed he went to you.” Sirius shook his head. “I assume you’re here to check the usual places then.” A nod. “Just let me know when you find him.” Another nod as the man walked out the door and descended.

Quick footsteps took him down to the ground floor, outside, and across the grounds. He didn’t even think as he shifted to Padfoot and dodged the Whomping Willow to the tunnel entrance. He shifted back only when he got to the far end.

“Moony,” he called as he stepped into the dilapidated building. “Moony, are you here?” Silence met him. He climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to the room they normally used. Nothing had been touched in weeks. “Damnit.” He turned on the spot and disappeared with a pop.

The next place he appeared was the lobby of St. Mungo’s. There was a small chance Remus would have gone there. A very small chance, but still a chance. He approached the woman at the counter.

“Has one Remus Lupin checked in here in the past two days?”

She flipped through files quickly. “I’m sorry. No one by either of those names has been here.”

“Thanks.” Sirius returned to the apparition point and thought of his next place. Remus hardly ever used his own house, but it was worth a try.

Sirius appeared just outside the wards, roughly fifty meters away from the house proper. It was a tiny thing, one of the few things Remus inherited and the Ministry allowed him to keep. The animagus knew the inside by heart: living room, study, half bath, and a kitchen/dining room combo on the first floor with a bathroom and small bedroom upstairs. There was also a small basement where, on the few days he was here, Remus could transform in relative peace.

Approaching the house, Sirius noted that it was quiet, even for Remus. He released his wand from its arm holster and knocked. “Remus? Are you here?” Silence was his reply. He tried the door and found it locked; a quick _‘Alohomora’_ got him in. As soon as the door opened, his eyes began to water.

The air was filled with the coppery scent of blood, more than there ought to be. The former Auror’s mind quickly went to work as he carefully worked his way through the house. Almost everything was neat and orderly but there were clues that the werewolf had definitely been around. There was a new book on the table beside his favorite chair, a bookmark buried in its pages. There were ashes in the small fireplace; it was used, but not for very long or very recently. A quick poke into the study showed nothing had been touched in weeks. In the kitchen area, there was another, larger, fireplace that was built up and waiting to be lit. There was a small jar on the mantle containing floo powder. There was a plate next to the sink, having been washed and set aside to dry. There was an empty vial on the counter that Sirius picked up. It smelled like Wolfsbane but there was a hint of something else underneath. That was enough to make Sirius’ worry for his friend rise even more. A tampered with Wolfsbane can have disastrous side effects. His first thought was the fireplace. He started it with a charm, threw a handful of powder into it, dropped to his knees, and was calling once more for the Headmistress’ office.

Before Minerva could say anything, he forged on. “Minerva, I need Poppy at Remus’ house now. Something went wrong and someone tampered with his potion.” The look of horror on her face told Sirius she thought the same thing as him. “I haven’t found him yet, but tell Poppy to prepare for the worst.” He pulled his head from the fire and the call ended.

His feet quickly took him to the door that led to the basement as he pocketed the vial. There were a number of charms blocking the door, but he dispatched them with ease. For a brief second after he opened the door, he wished he hadn’t, but only for that split second.

If Sirius thought the smell of blood couldn’t get any worse, he was wrong. He gagged briefly at the almost overwhelming coppery tang of blood and the sickeningly sweet smell of infection. He cast a bubble-head charm as he noted that, although there was the smell of blood and infection, there was no rancid smell of decay. “Remus,” he called as he descended the stairs, wand held carefully before him. “It’s Sirius.” There was more silence. He was straining his ears, attempting to pick up any sound at all.

His head snapped to the right and he paused. At the very edge of his hearing range, there was a sound. He directed his wand that way and muttered, “ _Homenum Revelio_.” There was a faint pulse about three meters in front of him and slightly to the right. “ _Lumos._ ” He almost wished he hadn’t. Blood was splattered over the walls and the bars of the cage Remus used for transformations. Sirius’ eyes scanned inside and his heart nearly stopped even as he ran for the cage door. “Damnit, Remus, so many locks.” He worked quickly through the many locks and enchantments on the door and pulled it open. He began casting field diagnostic tests before he had reached the man in question.

Remus was alive but barely so. He was naked, evidence he hadn’t moved since his transformation. There were scratches, cuts, and bruises that should have healed long ago with the werewolf’s increased healing rate. One of his legs was bent at an awkward angle and the other was an angry red and purple. Sirius’ eyes drifted to his friend’s head. Though there was relatively few marks on his face this round, but there were other concerns. His sandy hair was matted to his head with blood.

The sound of the floo activating pulled him from his observations. “We’re down here! Hurry!” His voice wavered, knowing how close he was to losing his best friend. He pulled the vial from his pocket and held it to the approaching mediwitch. “Someone messed with his Wolfsbane. I can’t detect what it is.”

“You can cancel the bubble-head.” She took it and sniffed before casting a variety of spells over it. It was shoved back in his hand as he cancelled the spell. “Hemlock.” As she moved to the other side of the werewolf, Poppy caught the look on Sirius’ face. “Hemlock, while potentially fatal to most, it has relatively few affects on werewolves. The biggest issue is that it slows their healing ability and can cause temporary paralysis.” She knelt down and enlarged the box she carried in her pocket. “That he is still alive after forty-eight hours is a sign towards his recovery. For the hemlock, he is out of the danger zone. It’s everything else that I’m worried about.” Her eyes flicked up to Sirius. “I need you to hold him up and help me get him to swallow these potions. There is little we can do until he does.”

Sirius took a deep breath before carefully sliding his arm under Remus’ shoulders. There was a tiny whimper of pain that went straight to the older man’s heart. He watched as the mediwitch pried the mouth open and dumped a vial of potion into it. Sirius used his free hand to coerce his friend’s throat into swallowing. The process repeated several more times.

“Dreamless sleep, blood replenisher, hemlock antidote just to be safe, painkillers, antibiotic, muscle relaxer,” she rattled off names as she worked, knowing it would help both their minds. Now that she was satisfied Remus wouldn’t feel a thing, Poppy set about the real work. Using her wand, she began cleaning blood, sweat, and grime away, healing those that began bleeding again. She set his broken leg with a splint; the required potions for healing it were at Hogwarts. “There isn’t much else I can do here. He’s firmly out of the danger zone. Most of what he needs now is rest. His natural healing abilities should pick back up in the next day or so. I would like to have him at Hogwarts so I can keep an eye on him.” She watched as Sirius silently conjured a blanked and wrapped his friend. A hand on his arm stilled him. “I know you’re worried, with good right to be. I won’t kick you out this time unless there is good reason to. I know you’re as close as brothers.” There was a faint smile at the corners of his lips that quickly disappeared. She watched him pick the other man up with ease and walk back upstairs to floo back to the hospital wing.

 

 

* * *

 

The first thing Remus noted was the significant lack of pain. As he floated around in semi-consciousness he used the opportunity to remember what he could and take in what he could sense. He remembered the fight with Sirius at Grimmauld Place. He read before eating dinner at his house, cleaned up, and then took his Wolfsbane. The potion had tasted off. Events after that came in flashes. Stumbling down the stairs. The cage door locking behind him. And then brutal, excruciating pain. He vaguely remembered having half a mind, but the pain was worse than anything he’d ever felt. The one thought he had during it was _‘Let me die’_. He knew when daylight came and the pain returned as he transformed back to his human state. But the pain did not stop. He hoped and prayed someone would find him before he descended into darkness. There were the brief moments where he heard voices and tried to make some kind of noise. Also someone urging him to swallow and then there was no more.

Once again he noted the lack of pain and was grateful, though he didn’t know if it meant he was dead or alive. There was the softness of a bed under him and the slight weight of blankets. A dip near his hip told him someone or something was leaning on his bed. The smell of antiseptic told him he was in a hospital of some kind; the lack of most common medical noises indicated that he was most likely at Hogwarts under the care of Madam Pomfrey. He slowly willed himself to full waking.

His eyes fluttered in the late sunlight drifting through the windows and affirming his guess at where he was. Once he adjusted to the light level, he looked to see the source of the dip in the bed and immediately felt combination of joy and guilt. He was overjoyed at the presence of his friend, but remorse for why he was there. Had they not fought, Sirius would have known something was wrong, could have helped. Remus knew that his friend would hold himself responsible, though he had done nothing besides follow his wishes. He didn’t know of the sometimes overwhelming guilt Remus felt for letting his friends down. He let his eyes slide closed once more as he tried to control his emotions.

The guilt he felt for standing by as Sirus fell through the veil and then for not finding a way to bring him back. For not helping Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the best of his ability. For letting them run off after Horcruxes. For not moving fast enough to save Tonks or Fred. For having to make people take time out of their own lives to care for him, to care for a monster. The werewolf hid it deep most of the time, but there were moments, like during the full moon, that it bubbled closer to the surface and threatened to drown him. He had always had a short temper around his transformations but now he also had the guilt that caused him to lash out when people tried treating him normally. He felt he didn’t deserve it anymore. There were days during his solitary transformations that he wanted to curl up, go to sleep, and never wake up. Voices interrupted his thoughts.

“What did you find?” The voice was very much Sirius, though it was rough from sleep.

“Everything was normal except the hemlock,” said a female voice. One that had been trying to get him to come out of the spiral she noticed he had started down. It was also the voice of one of the foremost potions and charms researchers in the world. It was Hermione Granger. “I can also tell you that the hemlock was added after it was made – this is one of my brews. It was also added between five and seven days ago. I gave him this potion eight days ago and—”

“I found him four days ago. Are you saying he added it himself?”

There was a sigh tinged with sadness. “It’s the most likely situation. There is a small stand of hemlock not far from his house and it shows signs of being harvested recently according to Neville.”

“You mean…he tried to off himself?” There was disgust and Remus couldn’t help the tears that slid down his cheeks. “Remus?” The disgust was replaced worry. The werewolf let his eyes slide open and they fell on Sirius first. His hair was a mess, like he had alternately run his fingers through it and tried to rip it out. His clothes were rumpled, as if they’d been slept in. His eyes were bloodshot.

Remus’ eyes slid to Hermione as she shifted her weight. She was much neater, but still stressed. She was dressed simply in jeans and a jumper to ward of the late October chill. Her hair was braided back, indicating she had been working in the lab.

“Why?” Sirius’ voice pulled him back.

“I didn’t,” he croaked, “though I wish it had worked.” He heard light footsteps move away as Hermione left and the tingle of a silencing ward going up; it wouldn’t prevent anyone from approaching them, but no one would hear anything unless they walked inside the ward. Sirius was about to rip into him.

“WHAT THE HELL!? Why?” Remus remained silent but closed his eyes. “Look at me goddamnit.” When he opened his eyes, Sirius was standing, furious and tense. “Do you not care? Do you know how many people that would have devastated? I know we’ve done close to nothing but fight since I came back but at least think of Harry and Hermione.” Sirius collapsed back in his chair.

“I’ve done nothing but think of them. I’ve endangered their lives, tore them apart, and been a coward.” He knew he was going to start babbling. “I’m guilty of so many things. I stood by as you fell through the veil and did nothing, absolutely nothing, to bring you back. I stood aside and watched Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they dove into danger time and again. I didn’t help them when they needed it searching for those damned Horcruxes. I wasn’t fast enough to save Tonks or Fred. And I’m helpless once a month, forcing you and them to take time out of your own lives to care for the monster I am.” He closed his eyes and turned away from the other man, tears streaming down his face. “I’ve taken the pain knowing that it’s nowhere near the pain I’ve caused others. I wish sometimes that I could just go to sleep and never wake up. Never have to put anyone through pain caused by me ever again.”

He didn’t hear any footsteps and was surprised when arms wrapped around him. He knew the scent though and realized Hermione had returned. Another presence situated behind him and settled a hand on his shoulder. A quiet sniff told him it was Harry. He tried to bury his face away from both of them, ashamed, but Hermione held him firm; he didn’t have the strength to fight back.

“We’ve never held any of that against you.” Hermione’s voice was soft and soothing. “You were there when we needed you, offering your help whenever it was needed. We endanger our own lives, Harry’s a trouble magnet.”

“Hey! Though I suppose that is true.” The young man’s voice softened. “Remus, you’re one of the bravest people I know; you had a hand in taking down Dolohov, Greyback and Rookwood. Those are not the actions of a coward; a coward would have run away and hid, leaving his friends to die. You were in the heart of the battle, protecting and fighting for what you believed in. You’re not a monster either, you’re Remus Lupin. So what if you have a furry problem, you are, among other things but above all, part of my family.”

Hermione spoke again. “We care for you because we love you. Why do you think I’ve been working in my lab so much? I hate watching how much pain you’re in and have been working on two things to combat it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Wolfsbane has been improving. I’ve been tweaking it, trying to improve it and figure out what exactly makes it work. I was going to tell you later but I think you need some good news now.” She paused and forced him to look up. He could feel Sirius shift farther down on the bed and Harry’s eyes on him. “I’ve been working for months on a combination of charms, runes, arithmancy, and potions. I’ve done trials on blood and I may have a cure.”

It took a moment for him to process her words. When he did he sat up and scooted back in the bed a bit to take everyone in. “That is a cruel joke, Hermione.”

Harry jumped to her defense. “When has she ever joked on something like this? I’ve seen the tests myself.”

There were tears in his eyes once more as Remus looked from Harry to Hermione. “You mean you may really have a cure for lycanthropy?” She smiled and nodded. “You really are the brightest witch.”

She blushed red. “Just promise us you won’t do this again. I know that at the very least Harry, Sirius, and I would miss you.”

The dog animagus finally spoke, laughter in his voice. “Lily and James would probably kick your ass when they saw you.”

Remus couldn’t help but agree as Sirius dropped the wards. “Where’d you get the blood?”

“I have a contact in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He got me a copy of the Werewolf Registry. I did some research and contacted those who seemed most likely to cooperate. And before you ask, I wanted to keep it a surprise for you.”

“I sense a ‘but’.”

“But I still had some of your blood to test on.” Her eyes dropped to where her hands were now in her lap. “I’m sorry for not telling you and understand if you’re upset.”

He laughed causing her eyes to rise and meet his again. “I’m not mad. I do wonder how you got it though.”

“The last few months you’ve been in here, I’ve snuck in and taken a vial or two. I had to purify the potions out of it and then test to make sure it was still possessed the lycan retrovirus. Then I added increasing quantities of the potion until the virus was wiped out. I ran more tests on it, both muggle and magical, making sure it was gone. Every time I’ve done it, with every sample of blood, no matter who it is from, it has worked. The only thing I don’t know is the complete dosage. A vial of blood is one thing, but a person? I don’t know.”

He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the approaching mediwitch. “Mr. Lupin, you may continue this conversation in a few minutes. I need to check you over.” Madam Pomfrey shooed his three companions out of the way and pulled the privacy curtain around. She cast several spells and checked bandages. She declared him firmly on the mend and that he should be able to be released the next day. She fixed him with a firm look. “That means you stay here until then. No trying to sneak out like you used to. And if Mr. Black attempts such a thing, he will find himself in a bed himself.” She removed the curtains and bustled back to her office.

Hermione pulled a chair to his bedside, eager to resume their conversation as Sirius and Harry sat on the other side. “What were you going to say?”

A smile split his lips. “Always eager to learn. I was wondering if there were any effects of the lower dosages.” She shook her head. “You can start at a smaller dose, say enough for the volume of blood in the body, and then increase it over time until you get the desired effect. I volunteer to test for you.”

Her eyes widened. “I couldn’t ask that of you! Something could go horribly wrong and-and—”

“Or it could go amazingly right. And you didn’t ask, I offered. I assume we would discuss everything beforehand. You are a brilliant, talented witch, Hermione, and I have total confidence in you.”

She smiled before her eyes widened once more. “The potion!” She jumped up and was out of the room.

Harry just laughed as the others followed her out with her eyes. “That potion has been the most important project for the better part of the last year. Remus,” he said pulling the man’s attention to him, “she’s doing this for you. Like we said, you’re our family. We hate seeing you in so much pain and Mione is determined to put an end to it one way or another.”

“Speaking of family, when are you going to expand your part? You and Ginny seem to be getting along well.” Harry’s face darkened. “What?”

“You really have been out of it, Moony. Harry and Ginny broke up nearly a year ago.”

“Oh.” His eyes dropped to his lap. “Sorry.”

“Eh,” Harry shrugged, “I’ve already found someone who is so much better and has always been there. Just took a shock to get me to wake up and see her.”

Remus contemplated that. Who else could it be? He only came to one conclusion. “Sooo, are you going to ask Hermione to marry you?” When Harry’s face flushed red, he knew he guessed right.

“As soon as she finishes her potion.”

“I was joking.”

“I’m not.”

Sirius patted his godson on the shoulder. “Good for you, kiddo. Have you picked a ring?”

A sigh accompanied the head shake. “I haven’t found the right one. I’ve been to every jewelry stone in London, both muggle and magical. Nothing says ‘Hermione’.”

“Have you tried the Potter family vault? I know that’s where James got Lily’s from.”

“I’ll try.” He laughed as Remus yawned. “We should probably let you sleep. Healing takes a lot of energy.” The werewolf only nodded as he fell back against his pillows. “Night Moony.”

“Night Harry. Night Sirius.”

“We’ll be back tomorrow.” He didn’t hear Sirius, though, having dropped off to sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

“It’s ready.” It was two weeks after Remus was released from the Hospital Wing. The three men sitting around the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place looked up. Hermione was rebraiding her hair as she walked from the basement door to the coffee maker. Harry raised an eyebrow in her direction. He knew the only time she drank coffee is when she really need the caffeine to settle her nerves.

“What’s ready?” Sirius asked after she had taken a sip of her drink.

“The potion. I’ve done everything I can think of: runes, arithmacy, charms, all of it. I’ve tested it at least a thousand times of different blood types and quantities. The result is always the same. I-I think it’s time for a human subject.” The silence in the room was deafening.

Remus finally stood and walked over to her. “I’m still volunteering to be first.”

Her brown eyes rose. “I don’t know the physical aspects. There will be pain, I am fairly sure, but nothing else. I can give you nothing until it has run its course, which is roughly two hours by my best estimation and once it starts there is nothing I can do to stop it.” Her hands were shaking at what she was contemplating doing.

He set the cup on the counter and pulled the trembling girl in a hug. “We’ve talked. I know what to expect. If it works, I will owe you my life. If it doesn’t, you’ll know what to do.” He pulled away and returned the cup to her hands. “Finish your drink and we’ll get started. Is there anyone you want us to call?”

“Andi Tonks. She’s been my healer contact through this. Just tell her I said it was time and she’ll know.”

Remus went to call Andi and left Hermione leaning against the counter. She set her cup aside again as Harry came over to her. He wrapped his arms around her as her head dropped to his shoulder.

“It will be fine, Mione. You’ve prepared for every possible thing. It’s time to find out if all your hard work is going to pay off. Like Moony said, if it doesn’t work, you’ll know what needs changed. If it does, you’re going to make lots of people’s lives a lot better.”

“I-I guess you’re right.” She sighed as he kissed her forehead.

“I love you, Mione, no matter what.”

“And I you.” She broke away and drained her cup just as Remus returned with a dark haired woman. “Hello Andi.”

The woman nodded. “Hermione. Are you sure?”

The young woman took a deep breath. “Yes. I’ve done absolutely everything I can. Remus has volunteered to test it but I want you here just in case.” She turned to the werewolf in question. “Remus if you would get comfortable in your room, I’ll be up in a moment with the potion and my equipment. I think it’d be easiest somewhere you’re comfortable.” Hermione squeezed Harry’s hand before disappearing back down to the basement.

Everyone gathered in Remus’ room. Remus himself had changed into lounge pants and a loose t-shirt and was sitting on the bed. Andi was taking preliminary vitals. Sirius and Harry stood off to the side, waiting. Hermione bustled in with a box that she set on Remus’ desk. Out of it she pulled an empty, unbreakable vial.

“I need to run my preliminary check first and need a blood sample.” The only response was Remus holding his arm out. She set the vial against one of his veins and tapped it with her wand. When she had collected enough, she tapped it again. There was no sign of what she had done. She went back to her box and cast a few spells as well as dropping a few drops of a pale blue potion. The vial was set aside as she nodded. “That’s normal.” She picked up a flask of dark green potion and turned toward Remus.

“Is that it?”

She nodded. “You have to drink all of it. I apologize in advance if it is nasty. I can’t change the flavor without affecting how it works. I’ve estimated that it will take roughly two hours to get through your system.”  Tears welled up in her eyes. “I expect it will be extremely painful and I can’t do anything about it. Until it has run through, pain killers will have an adverse affect. It has to go to every cell in your body and destroy the retrovirus. And if I did it right, you’ll be conscious for the entire thing. I’m sorry.” Remus just gave her a pointed look. She sniffed and smiled. “Right. Here.” She unsealed the top of the flask and handed him the potion.

“Here goes nothing.” Remus tipped his head back and chugged the dark liquid. He handed the now empty flask to Hermione. “That wasn’t so bad. About the same as Snape’s Wolfsbane. It could have been worse.” His face suddenly contorted in pain and he curled around his stomach. “Merlin that hurts.” He squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to build.

Andi attempted to shoo everyone out of the room. Hermione stood firm, saying it was her experiment and she would see it out. Harry wound his fingers through hers and Andi gave up before she even turned to Sirius, muttering something about her family being stubborn.

After an hour, Harry and Sirius both left the room, Harry for a jumper out of his room and Sirius for whatever he needed. Andromeda had left earlier, having been called to St. Mungo’s on emergency; she would return if anything changed. Harry returned to find Hermione curled in a corner, sobbing in time with the cries of pain that were loud even through the muffling charm. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his lap. She laid her head in the crook of his neck and curled her fingers in his jumper. Eventually she cried herself to sleep.

Sirius wandered back in and looked down on the couple. Harry had pulled Hermione’s braid loose and was running his fingers through it. Her fingers were still curled tightly in his jumper, tear tracks dry on her cheeks. The older man plopped down beside his godson.

Harry didn’t look up. “We finally got Moony to stop his guilt trip and she finds her own.” His voice was soft; he didn’t want to wake her. “This project has been driving her insane. And now she feels guilty that she has put him through all this pain.”

A whimper escaped from Hermione. “…so much pain…all my fault…” Her voice sounded broken and pained.

Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead and she settled again. They sat in near silence, listening to the sounds of pain coming from the werewolf. Harry checked his watch just as it passed the two hour mark. The screaming abruptly stopped, causing Harry and Sirius to look up.

 

 

* * *

Remus was completely limp on the bed, his breathing ragged. He had just gone through what was probably the worst two hours of his life. It felt like he was undergoing the transformation hundreds of times over. He hurt in places he’d never hurt before, even with the changing. His throat was raw from screaming. He waited for another round of pain to hit. A minute passed, then two, five, ten. Nothing happened. A sigh of relief passed his lips. It was over and he lived. They just had to find out if it worked. He tilted his head to find Harry and Sirius staring at him. Hermione was curled in Harry’s arms, fast asleep. Sleep. That sounded like a good idea. Remus smiled at his friends, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

 

When Hermione came to, she snuggled into the soft material under her and the warm body beside her. She let her mind wander for a moment, that’s all it took. She sat up quickly. “Remus!”

An arm wrapped around her and pulled her back down. “He’s fine, love. Sleeping it off.” Harry’s voice was filled with sleep. “Just like you should be. Let him recover a bit before you go poking at him again.”

“What time is it? And why are you in my bed?”

He reached for his wand on the bedside table having taken his watch off. “This is my bed, but you wouldn’t let go of me. And it’s… _tempus_ …eight a.m.”

“Oh, I guess I should…” Hermione sat up again and began to scoot to the edge of the bed. Harry’s hand on her wrist stopped her. She glanced back at him. His eyes were bright even in the semi-darkness.

“You don’t have to. I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to stay.” She pondered his words for a moment and then crawled back into his arms. For a few minutes, neither said anything.

“You’re brilliant, Mione.”

“We don’t know if it worked yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. It could fail, but what would matter is that you tried, that you wanted to help.” He propped himself up on an elbow so he could look down on her. He used his right hand to brush away her tears again. “You are absolutely brilliant. Every time I don’t think I can love you more, you do something like this. Without you, I would have no family.”

“But—” she protested.

“No. Who was it that had a time turner to save Sirius? It was you. Who tried to knock some sense into my thick head and prevent my godfather from going through the veil? You again. Who refused to step aside and fought alongside my adopted uncle, defending him? You. Who is it that decided she was going to drive herself insane and make life easier for Remus one way or another? It was all you, the brilliant person who holds my heart.” Harry leaned down and captured her lips with his. It was slow, sweet, and beautiful.

When he pulled back, Hermione realized she was gripping something in her fist. She brought her hand between them and carefully opened it, holding the object up. It was a gold ring with two silver trinity knots flanking three stones. In the center were a round diamond and a pair of round emeralds, almost the same shade of green as Harry’s eyes. It was simple but elegant. Her eyes shifted to Harry.

“I would be absolutely no where without you. You’ve always been behind me, even if you didn’t completely agree with my ideas. I don’t want you behind me anymore. I want you beside me. I want the world to see you for what you are: a brilliant witch and the love of my life. Will you marry me, Mione?” Her eyes watered and her free hand covered her mouth. She watched his eyes close. “I didn’t want to make you cry again. I’m sorry.” He slid away from her and out of the bed before she could finish wrapping her mind around what he had said.

He was almost to the door when she found her voice. “Harry James Potter, get your bum back over here and kiss me.” His emerald eyes widened as he looked back at her. He watched as she slid the ring onto her left ring finger before standing. “You never gave me a chance to process. Now get back over here and kiss your fiancée.”

The smile that graced his face was one she hadn’t seen in a long time. “Gladly.” And he did just that.

Sirius opened the door to find them forehead to forehead, Harry’s arms around her waist and Hermione’s around his neck. He opened his mouth to make a smart ass comment when he saw the glint of gold on Hermione’s left hand. A smile tugged at his lips instead. “Congratulations, Pup. You too, Hermione.”

“Thanks,” they both breathed, never taking their gaze from each other.

“Remus is awake.” Hermione looked over at that. “He knows it’s early, but wants to know. And frankly so do I.”

Harry kissed his fiancée’s forehead and took one of her hands. “Let’s go.”

The three of them marched up the stairs and filed into Remus’ room. The man and Andi both looked up. Hermione immediately set about getting her supplies ready for testing. She started frowning soon after digging in the box.

“Where’s my—”

“Here, love.” She turned to see her wand in Harry’s hand.

“Thanks.” Wand in one hand, vial in the other, Hermione approached Remus and sat beside him. She set about taking her blood sample.

“I see congratulations are in order.” She blushed and nodded. “You do each other good.” A smile was all he got as she moved back to her station.

Her brows furrowed as she worked. She cast three spells on the vial and added three drops of the pale blue potion before sealing the vial and performing another spell. Part of her lip disappeared as she bit it in concentration. The remaining Marauders and Harry knew she only did it when she was really concentrating. She set the vial aside and pulled another to draw a fresh sample from Remus’ lower leg.

“Is there a problem?” Sirius asked.

“I have to be sure.” She repeated the entire process over. Eventually she held the vials together and cast the final spell again. A sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh bubbled out of her throat as she dropped to the floor, the vials dropping from her limp hand and rolling away.

Harry was at her side almost before she hit the ground. “Mione?”

“It-it’s…”

Andromeda picked up the abandoned vials. They looked identical, even down to the small white label with a black line across it. “Is this a negative? As in…”

Hermione nodded. “That’s why I had to be sure.” She allowed Harry to help her up before she spoke again. Her attention shifted from her fiancé to the man sitting up on the bed. “The negative means the retrovirus has been eradicated. Remus,” nervous laughter bubbled out of her lips, “you’re cured.”

His amber eyes widened as the room fell completely silent. “You’re sure?”

“You have to have a ministry official from the Werewolf Registry run the test there as it detects any infection, even on the smallest level, but I’m about ninety-nine percent sure. I expect you’ll still have some traits, the smell, the hearing, the fondness for rare meat, but otherwise, you’re as normal as a wizard can get.”

There was a look of unadulterated joy on his face before he bounded out of bed. His hands found her waist and picked her up to spin her around. “I know I’ve said this before, but you are truly the brightest witch of your generation.”  He spun her back into Harry’s arms, laughing. “Pads, what time is it?”

Sirius cast a quick time spell. “Nine-thirty. You thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

“If you’re thinking showers, breakfast, and then off to the Ministry, than yes.”

“Before we go anywhere,” Hermione said seriously, “Remus, can you cast _Lumos_ for me? That’s the only part of this I was completely unsure of.”

The former professor picked up his wand from the bedside table. “ _Lumos._ ” Instead of a soft constant light, the light at the tip of his wand flared, dimmed, flickered and went out. A second trial resulted in the same, though it flickered a bit longer. “It’s reacting similar to when I first showed magic.”

Hermione smiled and nodded. “This is actually what I hoped for. You’re magical core has been fighting with your inner wolf for so long that without that presence it is suddenly unbalanced. It will take some time and work, but it should balance out.”

“Looks like you’re going back to school, Moony.”

They all laughed as they split ways to shower before reconvening for breakfast. The meal was a joyous occasion and soon they were taking the floo to the Ministry.

The five of them, Remus, Sirius, Harry, Hermione, and Andi, took the lift to level four and found their way into the Registry office.

A bored looking middle-aged wizard looked up as they entered. “Mr. Lupin, aren’t you a bit early for your check in?”

“Good morning, Mr. Campbell. I might be but I have to check something. May I see Mr. Taylor?”

“Do you have an appointment?”

Hermione stepped up. “Tell him Hermione Granger is here.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh! Right away Miss Granger!” He disappeared from sight, running to find the man.

All eyes turned on Hermione. “I told you I had a contact in the Department. Never said who it was.”

“And it just happens to be the head of the Werewolf Registry?”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Sirius. I am well connected.”

“Ah, Miss Granger! What a surprise.” They looked up to see a tall wizard approaching them. He had dark red-brown hair and pale blue eyes.

“Good morning, Mr. Taylor.” Hermione stepped up to shake his hand.

“How goes the research?”

Her grin grew. “That’s why we’re here. Would you be so kind to cast the most in depth detection spell you know on Mr. Black here?”

He quirked one eyebrow but did as she requested. “Nothing. Readings are completely normal.”

“And on Mr. Lupin.” He repeated the spell. They watched as his face paled and his eyes widened in shock. “The results?”

“I don’t believe them. May I ask for a second opinion?”

She looked up to Remus who was grinning with child-like excitement. “Be my guest.” Soon everyone in the ten person office had cast detection spell and come to the same conclusion.

Mr. Taylor finally regained his ability to speak. “How is this possible?”

“A complicated combination of potions, charms, runes, and arithmacy. And lots of hard work.”

Harry snuck his arms around her waist from behind. “Our Mione is brilliant.”

“Would you accompany me to the Head of the Department?”

Remus nodded. “I’m amused by your reactions.”

“I’m afraid, I must decline,” Andi said. “I must return to work. It was wonderful to work with you though.”

“Thank you, Andi, for everything.” Hermione gave the woman a hug before she returned to St. Mungo’s.

Mr. Taylor led the four remaining group members down the hall to the office of the Head of the Department. He ignored the secretary and opened the door. Inside were an older wizard and a witch everyone recognized as Minister of Magic Amelia Bones.

“What is the meaning of this, Taylor?”

“I’m sorry, Director Morris, Madam Bones, but this couldn’t wait. It actually works well that you are here Madam.” He motioned for his four companions to join him. He gestured to Remus. “Remus Lupin here has been a registered werewolf since 1967. This young lady is Hermione Granger, one of the foremost researchers of charms and potions.”

“So?” the director drawled, clearly not amused.

“Somehow, Miss Granger has cured Mr. Lupin of his lycanthropy.”

The laughter was immediate in the director; he was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes. “You must be joking. There is no cure.”

“That’s what I thought, Director. But if that is so, can you explain how even the most intricate test came up negative to every single one of my staff?”

“Let…let me try.” He took a deep breath, still smiling, and cast the charm. As he worked, Harry, Hermione, and the Marauders grinned wildly. They watched the director’s face pale and his laughter stop. “How in Merlin’s name is this possible?”

Madam Bones looked from Director Morris to Mr. Taylor to Remus and Hermione then back. “Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?”

Hermione stepped forward. “Director Morris, as well as the entire Werewolf Registry, cast an intricate, in-depth detection spell. It is used to detect infection by the lycan retrovirus on every layer of the body. The results have told each and every one of them that Remus here has no trace of the virus. As to how…” Hermione began explaining the process by which the potion eradicates the virus from the body. “It’s extremely painful, lasting roughly two hours, and there are lingering effects from the virus, heightened senses and a liking for rare meat, but otherwise they are as normal as any other wizard.”

“This changes everything! And it makes most of our werewolf laws useless.”

Madam Bones frowned for a minute. “I know what this implies, it is a wonderful thing. But what you described sounds expensive and time consuming. I know we’ve been doing better in recent years, but we don’t have the funds for something like that. Especially on the scale needed.”

Harry and Sirius just grinned. “Don’t worry, Minister,” Harry said, confidently. “I will fully back the project. Anyone who wants the potion will have it.”

Sirius laid a hand on his godson’s shoulder. “The House of Black adds its support as well. Never again will anyone have to suffer as our friend has.”

The minister stood. “There is a Wizengamot meeting tomorrow and an ICW meeting in just over a month. Miss Granger, can you be at both?”

“Yes ma’am.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

Two days later, Daily Prophet readers discovered exactly what Hermione did.

 

**THERE IS A CURE!**

**Granger develops cure for lycanthropy**

By Ralinda Almeidus

_Miss Hermione Granger, foremost researcher in Potions and Charms, Hogwarts class of ’99, has done the seemingly impossible. Through trial-and-error, time, and much hard work, she has developed a cure for the affliction that turns many a witch or wizard into werewolves._

_Though her initial study was looking at the Wolfsbane potion, a potion that allows a werewolf to keep their mind during transformations, she eventually deviated into the realm of the unknown, searching for a cure for a friend. Miss Granger…_

 

Harry skimmed over the article to the end.

_Miss Granger, with the backing of Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, and Sirius Black, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, will be offering the potion free to any who want it. She asks that you carefully read the conditions that come with the potion and if you have any questions contact Mr. Warren Taylor, head of the Werewolf Registry at the Ministry of Magic._

 

Harry looked up as someone came down the stairs. “Ah! The woman of the century!”

“What are you talking about?” He held the Prophet out so she could see the front page. Below the caption was a picture of Hermione and Remus with Harry and Sirius flanking them. Under the picture there was a caption: _Hermione Granger with Remus Lupin, the first werewolf to be cured, and supporters Harry Potter and Sirius Black._

“I wish I could see Malfoy’s face when he sees this.”

Hermione’s eyes shot up, confusion on her face. “What? Why?”

He stood to wrap his arms around her waist. “All those time he called you names, insulted you because of things you couldn’t control. And now you’re showing him just how bloody brilliant muggleborns can be. You’ve given thousands of people around the world a chance at a normal life.” A cough at the door separated them.

Remus and Sirius were grinning like no tomorrow. “May I steal the lady of the hour and hug her?” Hermione launched herself in Remus’ arms.

Needless to say, there was much laughter and celebration.


End file.
